From the heart & soul of industrial hygiene & toxicology...

“Biologists want to win Nobel Prizes while chemical engineers want to build factories. They have different standards of achievement.”

Jonathan King, molecular biologist Massachusetts Inst. of Technology

But in

Prior to 1990 - “Toxic was, well just toxic” 21 st C. toxic only became toxic plus - modified therapeutics

More recently toxic-only substances acquired “fresh” applications, harnessing previously toxic-only characteristics Poorly-explained chemical asphyxiant - Hydrogen sulfide; Deep lung irritant –Nitric oxide; Chemical asphyxiant - Carbon monoxide; Teratogenic responsible for limb absence - Thalidomide; Food poisoning - Botulinum toxin.

(Botox) Peptides. 2015 Oct;72:80-7.

Willie Sutton Principle? Large $-amounts represent sub-projects carried within larger funded projects

Industrial hygienists already familiar with toxic gas properties : CO, NO & H 2 S Annual NIH research funding –only subproject funding shown Nitric oxide (NO) $15.0M Carbon monoxide (CO) $2.6M Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) $1.5M Occupational health community shares <1%

Major funding being applied to studies Exploring characteristics of two classic air pollutants

Hydrogen sulfide ~$36M/annum NIH - 2018; Air monitoring-relevant studies ~$0.3M

Nitric oxide ~$380M/annum NIH - 2018; Air monitoring-relevant... ~$2.3M;

Hydrogen sulfide Pollutant-only era H 2 S era pre-1996, funding & papers constant Gastrotransmitter + pollutant era exploded funds & papers

H 2 S $35M/annum research funding?

Circulating H 2 S & NO are both key to CV health status (not a misprint!) This slide is biology (gastro-transmitter) only

Cartoon courtesy of Exhalix, LLC.

“Paired-blue” R-directed arrows (btn. sm./ lgr. blood vessels correspond to production of H 2 S under control of Cysta thianine y-lyase & production of NO under control of NO-synthase. H 2 S & NO key to small vessel health. Upper L cartoon depicts chronic kidney disease while top R ~atherosclerosis. Role for 2 classic air pollutants in vein health. Revolutionary!

Day-to-day of air monitoring - Preventing acute & chronic health effects This slide is engineering/IH only

Photo courtesy - RC Detectors The way we see H 2 S & NO studies Sensitivity & accuracy –Concentrations of concern (biology ~ conc. is the conc.; Interferents –Often monitoring harsh industrial environments (biology ~ much different); Reliability - Durability & installation. Response time & alarm characteristics.

How can we connect different pictures Can we “talk” to others with strikingly different backgrounds?

Clearly engineering-only versus

Modern systems biology

Medical storytelling describes features of professional life that sometimes make us uncomfortable, maybe even vulnerable. How dedicated are we to the inter-feature of inter-disciplinary? As Dr. Woz organizes his, he meets some of his own limits.

A dense passage but one that speaks volumes about the Inter-feature Enjoy! Tom.

The last time he had engaged in a serious science exercise occurred when he lettered W-O-Z-N-I-A-K on an exam paper. Since then he had adapted himself to medicine’s narrow corridor in which the inter- of -disciplinary could be as subtle as an internist consulting with a surgeon. The dimensions of this requirement leap-frogged from medicine over nursing and allied health all the way to basic science and beyond. Its requirement for consultant resumes was particularly troubling. Less the resume requirement, Woz reasoned he might turn a pleasant faculty club lunch into permissions to forward two subject matter experts’ phone numbers. So on a Saturday that would have otherwise been a day off, Woz applied a popular decision-making approach, one of stewing, embracing indecision until late afternoon sun produced lengthened shadows.